Airline Industry Reports 'Significant Increase' in Fatal Accidents

The number of fatal air accidents rose sharply in 2024, according to a major new safety report. The research, published by the International Air Transport Association, acknowledges a “significant increase” versus a year earlier. 

In 2024, seven accidents were categorized as fatal by the organization. In total, they resulted in 244 deaths onboard an aircraft. There was just one fatal accident in 2023, which recorded 72 onboard fatalities.

Looking beyond 2024’s unfavorable year-on-year comparisons, the broader five-year numbers offer important context. There was an average of 144 onboard deaths per year over the last five years. The fatality risk index for 2024 was 0.06, comfortably below the five-year average of 0.10, but double 2023’s figure of 0.03.

According to IATA, this means on average, a person would have to fly for 49,246 years to experience one 100% fatal accident.

Notably, the data does not include what IATA terms as “security-related events.” For example, the deaths of 38 people onboard a